Ken Loach is an intelligent film maker, an idealist and left wing activist? Well maybe? In regard to his films, it is a matter of taste. In regard to his intelligence and activism, well maybe one has to wonder about Ken Loach's motives.
Loach's move to boycott an Israeli grant to the Edinburgh film festival, the purpose of which was to enable Israeli director Tali Shalom Ezer to attend the screening of her film Surrogate, which I gather is a film about love and sex with no mention of the conflict. This fact notwithstanding, Loach sees the acceptance of this grant as an affront to the Palestinian nation. Loach is entitled to his opinion (if but totally misguided). His use of influence with the Edinburgh festival is a gross abuse of his position as well as a flagrant act of censorship. I wonder why as a supporter of Chechen independence he does not advocate the boycott of Russian films. What would have happened if certain people had objected to his interpretation of the Irish revolution in "The Wind That Shakes the Barley"?
Loach is just one more example of a so called left wing artist abusing his position in the pursuit of a political aim. His support for the Palestinian cause may be honourable, however his refusal to acknowledge that there are two sides to this particular conflict is laughable for a man of such supposed intelligence. While he supports Hamas and Hezbollah, two organisations which actively work to undermine just about all the values and freedoms Loach apparently believes in so passionately, he wantonly ignores their treatment of their own people. The murder, kidnap and religious oppression of Palestinians and Lebanese by these organisations is an acceptable price for Loach and his comrades. In truth it is Loaches patronising neo colonialist attitude to the Palestinians and the greater Arab world which is shameful. Loaches hatred of Israel borders on anti semitism. His desire to censor the Edinburgh film festival is shameful. The festivals capitulation to this bigotry is even more so. Loach does not speak for the film industry as a whole. he speaks for himself and a bunch of left wing misfits whose rabid hatred of Israel undermines just about everything they claim to stand for and most of all the legitimate rights of Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and dignity.
The festival needs to have the strength of conviction to say no to intimidation, no to censorship and no to Mr Loach!
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